Procurement Planning and Bid Management Training Course

Duration 10 days 21 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Procurement Officers, Category Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-P-088

Before you join: Participants should have practical exposure to purchasing, sourcing, tender support, contract administration or supplier engagement.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Procurement plans often fail before a tender is issued. Demand is poorly defined, market conditions are not tested, stakeholders disagree on priorities, and evaluation criteria do not reflect the real operating need. The result can be late sourcing, weak competition, avoidable change requests, supplier disputes, and contracts that do not deliver the expected cost, service, quality, or risk outcome. Bid management adds further pressure: procurement teams must run a controlled process while suppliers submit credible, compliant and commercially sound responses.

This course develops the planning and bid-management discipline required to take a requirement from demand analysis to contract award and mobilisation. Participants build procurement strategies, category plans, sourcing schedules, specifications, tender documents, evaluation models, risk registers and approval packs. They apply spend analysis, supply-market analysis, Kraljic portfolio positioning, total cost of ownership, weighted scoring, clarification control and negotiation planning. The course also addresses governance, ethics, sustainability, supplier due diligence, bid receipt controls and contract handover.

Teaching combines concise instructor briefings with procurement cases, facilitated group work, tender simulations and structured review of participant documents. Cases reflect common procurement situations in public bodies, banks, infrastructure projects, NGOs, manufacturing operations and service organisations. Participants progressively develop a complete procurement and bid-management pack during the course, then review and present it in the final capstone. They leave with reusable templates, decision tools and an action plan for applying the methods to a live or upcoming procurement.

The course suits procurement professionals who already support sourcing, tendering or supplier selection and now need stronger planning, analytical and bid-management capability. It is also relevant to contract managers, project staff and operational leaders who contribute requirements, evaluation input or approval decisions.

What you will be able to do

  • Develop a procurement strategy using demand, spend, market and risk analysis.
  • Build a procurement plan with milestones, governance gates, responsibilities and sourcing routes.
  • Create outcome-based specifications, pricing schedules and tender documentation.
  • Design weighted evaluation models with clear criteria, scoring guidance and moderation controls.
  • Manage bid communications, clarifications, receipt controls and supplier due diligence.
  • Apply total cost of ownership, should-cost logic and commercial risk analysis.
  • Prepare negotiation plans, award recommendations and auditable approval records.
  • Produce and present a complete procurement and bid-management pack.

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce procurement plans that withstand stakeholder and approval scrutiny
  • Run tender processes with clearer controls, records and decision logic
  • Assess supplier bids beyond headline price using total cost and risk
  • Lead evaluation and moderation meetings with defensible scoring evidence
  • Present award recommendations with stronger commercial judgement

For your organisation

  • Earlier procurement engagement against planned demand and project milestones
  • Better competition through clearer requirements and supplier communication
  • More auditable sourcing decisions supported by consistent evaluation records
  • Reduced contract change exposure through stronger specifications and risk allocation
  • Faster contract mobilisation through planned handover and performance measures

Course modules

21 modules over 10 days

Participants can explain the procurement lifecycle, governance roles and controls required for planned sourcing.

  • Procurement lifecycle from demand definition through contract closeout and renewal
  • Stakeholder roles using RACI, delegated authority schedules, and approval gates
  • Procurement policy interpretation against business needs, budgets, and controls
  • Distinguishing sourcing, purchasing, contract management, and supplier relationship management
  • Value for money assessed through whole-life cost, quality, and risk
  • Procurement file structure supporting audit trails and decision traceability

Participants can convert operational demand into controlled, measurable procurement requirements.

  • Demand management separates genuine requirements from preferences, duplication, and avoidable spend
  • Forecasting volumes with historical consumption, project pipelines, and seasonality assumptions
  • Stakeholder interviews convert operational needs into measurable procurement requirements
  • Make-buy analysis compares internal capability, capacity, cost, and control
  • Requirements baselines record scope, quantities, timing, and acceptance criteria
  • Change-control logs protect approved demand from unmanaged scope growth

Participants can use spend data to identify sourcing priorities and category opportunities.

  • Spend cubes classify expenditure by supplier, category, business unit, and geography
  • Pareto analysis identifies high-value suppliers and concentrated expenditure categories
  • Data cleansing resolves duplicate suppliers, inconsistent descriptions, and missing classifications
  • Tail-spend analysis identifies aggregation, catalogue, and process standardisation opportunities
  • Savings baselines distinguish price variance, demand reduction, and cost avoidance
  • Category opportunity statements link spend patterns to practical sourcing actions

Participants can assess supplier markets and translate market evidence into sourcing decisions.

  • Supply-market mapping identifies supplier capacity, competition, barriers, and substitutes
  • Porter's Five Forces tests bargaining power and market attractiveness
  • PESTLE analysis identifies political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental factors
  • Should-cost inputs examine materials, labour, overheads, logistics, and margin
  • Supplier segmentation distinguishes strategic, preferred, transactional, and prospective suppliers
  • Market engagement plans define objectives, confidentiality, questions, and records

Participants can develop a procurement strategy that aligns commercial objectives with supply risk.

  • Kraljic Matrix positions categories by profit impact and supply risk
  • Strategic objectives balance cost, service, quality, innovation, resilience, and compliance
  • Sourcing options compare competition, framework use, direct award, and extension
  • Risk appetite informs contract duration, supplier concentration, and contingency choices
  • Procurement strategy documents link evidence, recommendations, approvals, and implementation actions
  • Benefits registers assign owners, measures, baselines, and review dates

Participants can translate category strategy into sequenced sourcing activity and resource plans.

  • Category plans connect demand forecasts, market conditions, contracts, and stakeholder priorities
  • Procurement roadmaps sequence market engagement, tendering, award, and mobilisation milestones
  • Critical-path analysis identifies dependencies, decision points, and schedule float
  • Resource plans allocate procurement, technical, legal, finance, and evaluation responsibilities
  • Milestone dashboards track progress against approved sourcing and contract dates
  • Contingency planning addresses tender delay, supplier withdrawal, and approval failure

Participants can apply governance controls that protect fairness, confidentiality and decision integrity.

  • Procurement governance defines accountable owners, approvers, reviewers, and escalation routes
  • Conflict-of-interest declarations identify personal, financial, and organisational interests
  • Probity principles protect equal treatment, confidentiality, transparency, and documented decisions
  • Segregation of duties separates specification, evaluation, approval, and contract administration
  • Confidential information protocols control access, retention, disclosure, and secure disposal
  • Audit-ready records capture rationale, evidence, approvals, communications, and version history

Participants can write specifications that produce comparable bids and measurable supplier performance.

  • Outcome-based specifications describe required results rather than predetermined supplier solutions
  • Statement of work structures scope, deliverables, milestones, responsibilities, and acceptance
  • Service levels define measurement methods, thresholds, reporting frequency, and remedies
  • Technical requirements distinguish mandatory criteria from desirable supplier capabilities
  • Bills of quantities structure measurable works, units, quantities, and pricing
  • Acceptance criteria establish evidence, testing, approval authority, and defect correction

Participants can select commercial models and assess costs beyond the quoted price.

  • Total cost of ownership captures acquisition, operation, maintenance, disposal, and risk
  • Pricing models compare fixed price, unit rate, time-and-materials, and target cost
  • Open-book pricing defines cost transparency, audit rights, and margin treatment
  • Cost breakdown templates separate labour, materials, equipment, overheads, and profit
  • Indexation clauses allocate inflation exposure through stated indices and review periods
  • Sensitivity analysis tests cost exposure under volume, currency, and demand changes

Participants can select proportionate sourcing routes based on value, risk, market and urgency.

  • Sourcing route selection considers value, risk, competition, urgency, and contract complexity
  • Request for information gathers market intelligence before formal supplier competition
  • Request for quotation suits defined requirements, limited risk, and price comparison
  • Request for proposal tests supplier solutions, methodologies, capability, and commercial responses
  • Framework call-off options assess scope fit, competition rules, and remaining capacity
  • Single-source justifications document exclusivity, urgency, compatibility, and approval controls

Participants can screen suppliers using proportionate capability, financial and compliance criteria.

  • Prequalification questionnaires assess capability, capacity, experience, and management systems
  • Financial due diligence reviews liquidity, profitability, debt, and going-concern indicators
  • Sanctions screening checks restricted parties, ownership, jurisdictions, and adverse findings
  • Modern slavery checks examine policies, supplier controls, disclosures, and remediation
  • Insurance requirements match liability exposures, contract scope, and risk allocation
  • Reference checks validate comparable delivery, performance evidence, and client feedback

Participants can assemble clear tender packs that instruct suppliers and support valid comparison.

  • Invitation to tender states timetable, submission rules, contacts, and conditions
  • Bid instructions specify response formats, page limits, pricing schedules, and declarations
  • Tender schedules separate technical, commercial, legal, and compliance responses
  • Terms and conditions identify obligations, liabilities, remedies, and dispute procedures
  • Draft contracts expose material risk allocation before supplier pricing and submission
  • Document-control registers manage issue dates, revisions, approvals, and supplier distribution

Participants can manage tender communications and submissions without compromising fairness or confidentiality.

  • Bid management plans assign communication, documentation, evaluation, and approval responsibilities
  • Supplier briefing procedures deliver consistent information and controlled attendance records
  • Clarification logs record questions, responses, issue dates, and affected bidders
  • Addenda procedures communicate material changes consistently before submission deadlines
  • Bid receipt controls record timestamps, authorised access, security, and late submissions
  • Tender communication protocols prevent undisclosed discussions and unequal supplier treatment

Participants can design evaluation models that measure the factors that matter to contract success.

  • Evaluation criteria align with requirements, risks, commercial objectives, and contract outcomes
  • Weighted scoring models balance technical quality, price, risk, and social value
  • Pass-fail criteria assess mandatory compliance before detailed tender evaluation
  • Scoring descriptors define evidence thresholds for consistent assessor judgement
  • Price evaluation methods compare total cost, discounted cash flow, and normalised bids
  • Evaluation plans define assessors, confidentiality, timetable, moderation, and approvals

Participants can evaluate bids, moderate scores and document defensible award decisions.

  • Individual evaluation records evidence, scores, assumptions, and identified clarification needs
  • Consensus moderation reconciles scoring differences through documented evidence and discussion
  • Abnormally low bid reviews test deliverability, assumptions, and financial sustainability
  • Compliance matrices identify deviations, qualifications, omissions, and unacceptable conditions
  • Clarification boundaries distinguish permitted confirmation from material bid improvement
  • Evaluation reports connect supplier evidence, scoring rationale, and recommendation conclusions

Participants can prepare negotiation plans that improve value while preserving competitive integrity.

  • Negotiation mandates define objectives, authority limits, concessions, and escalation thresholds
  • BATNA analysis identifies alternatives, walk-away points, and supplier dependency
  • Issue-trading matrices exchange concessions across price, risk, service, and payment
  • Commercial clarifications resolve assumptions, exclusions, pricing anomalies, and contractual deviations
  • Negotiation records capture proposals, agreed positions, actions, and approval requirements
  • Final offer procedures preserve equal treatment where competitive negotiations apply

Participants can prepare award decisions and supplier feedback supported by complete procurement evidence.

  • Award recommendation papers summarise process, evaluation, risk, affordability, and approvals
  • Decision logs record material judgement, dissenting views, and final authority decisions
  • Standstill planning manages notices, challenge periods, communications, and contract timing
  • Unsuccessful bidder feedback explains relative strengths, weaknesses, and evaluation rationale
  • Award notices communicate scope, value, duration, and supplier identity where required
  • Procurement closeout checks archive records, approvals, declarations, and final correspondence

Participants can plan the transition from award to controlled contract delivery.

  • Mobilisation plans define transition tasks, owners, dates, dependencies, and readiness criteria
  • Contract handover packs transfer sourcing assumptions, commitments, risks, and supplier obligations
  • Kick-off agendas establish governance, reporting, escalation, and communication protocols
  • Performance measures link service levels, KPIs, evidence sources, and review cadence
  • Implementation risk registers track actions, owners, due dates, and residual exposure
  • Early-life support plans address defects, training, adoption, and operational continuity

Participants can manage supplier performance and contract changes using planned commercial controls.

  • Supplier scorecards measure service, quality, cost, risk, and improvement commitments
  • Performance review meetings assess evidence, root causes, corrective actions, and escalation
  • Contract risk registers monitor operational, financial, legal, and supply continuity threats
  • Business continuity plans address disruption scenarios, recovery actions, and communication responsibilities
  • Variation-control procedures assess scope, price, schedule, risk, and approval impacts
  • Lessons-learned reviews feed sourcing outcomes into future category and tender plans

Participants can incorporate responsible procurement requirements without weakening commercial discipline.

  • ISO 20400 principles connect procurement decisions with organisational sustainability objectives
  • Lifecycle assessment considers environmental impacts from materials through end-of-life treatment
  • Social value criteria define measurable employment, community, and skills commitments
  • Supplier diversity approaches widen access while maintaining capability and compliance standards
  • Responsible sourcing clauses address labour rights, environmental controls, and traceability
  • Verification methods specify evidence, reporting, audit access, and corrective action

Participants can build, review and present a complete procurement and bid-management pack for a defined requirement.

  • Procurement strategy integrates demand, spend, market, risk, and sourcing evidence
  • Category plan sequences milestones, resources, governance gates, and stakeholder responsibilities
  • Tender pack combines specification, pricing schedule, instructions, and contract terms
  • Evaluation model defines criteria, weightings, scoring descriptors, and moderation arrangements
  • Award paper presents evaluation findings, commercial rationale, risks, and approvals
  • Peer review tests clarity, fairness, auditability, commercial logic, and implementation readiness

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Procurement strategy template
  2. Category planning and sourcing schedule
  3. Outcome-based specification template
  4. Tender documentation checklist
  5. Weighted bid evaluation matrix
  6. Award recommendation paper template

Who should attend

  • Procurement Officers — need structured methods for planning and running competitive tenders
  • Category Managers — need evidence-based category strategies and sourcing plans
  • Sourcing Specialists — need stronger control of tender documents, evaluation and award decisions
  • Contract Managers — need better handover from sourcing into mobilisation and performance management
  • Project Managers — need to convert project requirements into timely procurement actions
  • Operational Managers — need to contribute defensible requirements and evaluation input

Skills and tools covered

Procurement planningBid evaluationSupplier market analysisCommercial negotiationTender governanceContract mobilisation

Tools and standards

Kraljic Matrix, Porter's Five Forces, ISO 20400, RACI matrix

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce methods, standards and decision tools, followed by case work based on realistic procurement scenarios. Participants analyse spend, assess supply markets, draft planning documents, develop tender material and evaluate bid responses in groups. Simulations cover clarification management, evaluation moderation, negotiation preparation and award approval. Facilitated review sessions test assumptions, controls and commercial logic. Each participant applies the methods to a relevant procurement category, project or upcoming tender and records actions for workplace use.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical exposure to purchasing, sourcing, tender support, contract administration or supplier engagement. They should understand basic procurement terms such as specification, quotation, purchase order, contract and supplier. Familiarity with spreadsheets is useful because the course uses cost models, scoring matrices and procurement schedules. No formal procurement qualification is required. Prior experience leading a tender, negotiating a contract, conducting advanced financial analysis or using a particular e-sourcing platform is not required. The course does not assume knowledge of a specific country’s procurement law.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should already understand basic purchasing or procurement activity and common terms such as supplier, specification and contract. They do not need to have led a tender or hold a formal procurement qualification.

Participants may bring a non-confidential example of an upcoming procurement, category plan or sourcing challenge. A laptop is useful for adapting templates and working with planning, costing and evaluation documents.

The course is designed for procurement officers, sourcing specialists, category managers, contract managers and project staff with procurement responsibilities. It also suits operational managers who define requirements or participate in supplier evaluations.

This course concentrates on the work between identifying demand and handing an awarded contract into delivery. It gives particular attention to planning, tender documentation, bid controls, evaluation, clarification, award and mobilisation.

Participants leave with reusable planning, evaluation and approval templates that can be adapted to current sourcing activity. The capstone gives them a structured procurement pack and an implementation action plan for workplace use.

The first part builds demand, spend, market, strategy and tender-design capability. The second part focuses on bid management, evaluation, negotiation, award, mobilisation, supplier controls and the final capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.